For all those that came to the Home Show Today and over the next few days here are the recipes, Happy Cooking.

Easy Sweet or Savoury Brioches

Makes 12

3 teaspoons active dry yeast

2 teaspoons sugar

½ cup lukewarm milk

2 cups plain (all-purpose) flour, sifted

2 eggs

180g butter, softened

Filling:

¼ red onion, chopped finely

½ bunch coriander, chopped

½ red capsicum, chopped

75g cooked ham, chopped (optional)

Salt and pepper to season

150g cheese, grated

1 egg, beaten, to glaze

Poppy seeds or sesame seeds

Method

Place the yeast, sugar and milk in a bowl and set aside for 5 minutes. The mixture will start to foam, indicating that the yeast is active.

Process the yeast mixture, flour, extra sugar and egg in a food processor until combined. With the motor still running, add the butter a little at a time and process until a very soft and sticky dough forms. Place in a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm place for 30 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 190˚C. Grease a 12 x ½ cup capacity muffin tray. Roll out dough on a floured board into a rectangle, about 1cm thick. Mix ingredients for filling together and spread across rectangle. Roll up into a long ‘sausage’ and cut across with a sharp knife into 12 even-sized ‘pin wheels’.

Place brioches into moulds and set aside for 20 minutes to rise again. Glaze with beaten egg and sprinkle with poppy or sesame seeds. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden. Remove from tins and serve warm or cold.

Carrot, Ginger and Honey Soup

This recipe was purloined from a good friend, Scottish chef Nick Nairn, when he still owned Braeval Old Mill in Aberfoyle. He is now seen every week on the Food Channel!

120g unsalted butter

300g thinly sliced onion

40g root ginger

1.5 kg peeled and grated carrot

2 tablespoons of clear honey

12 teaspoons lemon juice

seasoning

chicken or vegetable stock or water

fresh coriander to garnish

1. Sweat the onion and ginger until soft

2. Add the carrot, lemon juice and honey and sweat for a few minutes.

3. Add water or stock to cover and simmer for 45 minutes.

4. Blend and sieve.

5. Garnish and serve

Gourmet Pizzas

For the tomato sauce:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 small onion, peeled and chopped

1 medium clove garlic, peeled and crushed

450g ripe tomatoes, skinned and chopped

1 dessertspoon chopped fresh basil

Salt & freshly ground black pepper

For the base:

1 tsp active dry yeast

Pinch of sugar

165ml warm water

250g plain flour

1 tsp sea salt

1 tbsp olive oil

Method

Place yeast, sugar and water in a bowl. Set aside until bubbles form. Meanwhile, make up tomato sauce by heating olive oil in a saucepan, adding onion and garlic and cooking for 2-3 minutes to soften. Then add chopped tomatoes and basil, season with salt and pepper, and continue to cook over a medium heat for 20-25 minutes until tomatoes have reduced.

Add flour, salt and oil to yeast mixture. Mix to form a smooth dough and knead for 10 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Place in a clean, oiled bowl, cover and allow to stand in a warm place for 20 minutes or until doubled in size.

Knead and shape into one large or several small balls. Flatten with back of hand. Place on greased baking tray, add a few spoonfuls of tomato sauce, add toppings (see below) and bake at 180˚C for 20-25 minutes for a large pizza and 10-15 minutes for smaller pizzas.

Toppings:

  • Ham, red onion and mozzarella.
  • Olives and mozzarella.
  • Smoked mushrooms and mozzarella.
  • Pancetta and parmesan.
  • Red onion and goats’ cheese or feta.

Classic Lemon Tart with ‘Deinlein’ Lemon-cello Sorbet

Serves 8 – 10

1 Sweet Pastry case:

175g plain flour

40g icing sugar

75g softened unsalted butter

Pinch salt

1 egg yolk

1- 2 tbsp water or milk

Seeds of ½ vanilla pod and grated zest of ½ lemon

6 eggs

175g caster sugar

Zest of 6 unwaxed lemons

275ml lemon or orange juice

200ml cream

Method

Place all pastry ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and process until it forms a firm dough. Then turn out and knead lightly before placing in a polythene bag and leaving in the fridge for 30 minutes to rest.

Preheat oven to 200˚C and place a solid baking sheet inside. Roll out pastry as thinly as possible and carefully line a flan tin (23cm diameter). Prick the base with a fork (or use baking beans) and brush all over with beaten egg white. Bake on the hot baking sheet on the middle shelf for 20 minutes. Once cooled, the pastry case can be brushed with melted white chocolate to stop it going soggy from the filling.

Grate the zest of six lemons and squeeze enough juice to give 275ml. Now break the eggs into a bowl, add the sugar and whisk to combine, but don’t overdo it or the eggs will thicken. Next pour in the lemon juice and zest, followed by the cream and whisk lightly. Pour into the pastry case and bake at 180˚C for about 30 minutes or until the tart is just set and feels springy in the centre.

Fatayers

Serves 4

220 strong white bread flour, plus extra for dusting

½ tsp sea salt

½ tsp dried yeast

100ml tepid water

2 tbsp olive oil

Method

Mix dough ingredients to a dough and knead for 5 minutes until smooth and elastic. No need to prove; roll out and place a spoonful of filling in centre. Moisten edges and fold to make a three sided pyramid. Cut off excess dough and place fatayer on a greased baking tray.

Bake in a pre-heated oven at 230˚C for 10-15 minutes.

Fillings:

v Lamb, feta and pine nuts.

v Spinach, raisins & pine nuts.

Pitta Bread

Makes 12 servings

500g high grade white flour

2 tablespoons easy blend yeast

25g softened butter

310ml water

1½ teaspoons salt

Method

Make the dough and knead for 10 minutes. Leave to prove, then cut into 12 and roll each into a pitta shape. Bake on greased trays in a pre-heated oven at 220˚C for 8-10 minutes. When cooked, cover with a tea towel until cool to stop them getting crispy.

English Muffins

Makes 8

400g Hi-Tec white flour

1 tsp salt

25g butter

225ml milk

2 tsp dried yeast

1 egg

Butter or oil for frying

Method

Sift flour and salt into large bowl and rub in butter. Warm milk gently in a saucepan to blood heat, then sprinkle dried yeast on top and leave for 10 – 15 minutes until frothy. Beat in the egg. Add yeast liquid to the flour to make a very soft dough. Beat by hand or with a wooden spoon for about 5 minutes, until smooth and shiny. Cover with a large, lightly oiled plastic bag and leave in a warm place for 1 – 2 hours, or until doubled in size.

Knead again lightly and roll out onto a well floured surface to a thickness of about 1 cm. Cut into rounds and place on a floured baking sheet. Cover with plastic bag and leave to rise for about 45 minutes or until light and puffy. Heat oil or butter on a hot plate or heavy bottom frypan. Cook muffins for about 4 minutes on each side until golden.

Soda Bread

Makes 10 servings

900g plain flour

1 teaspoon cream of tartar

2 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda

2 teaspoons salt

900ml buttermilk

Method

Mix the flour, cream of tartar, bicarbonate of soda and salt. Mix to a soft dough with the buttermilk. Pat into a flattish round loaf and place on a greased baking tray. Mark the top into quarters with a knife. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 180˚C for 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack. Eat fairly quickly, while nice and warm.

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